From the Blue Community PPDF – Peace Point Development Foundation, Nigeria:
Communique Issued at the End of a Community Engagement on Environmental Rights & Climate Justice held at Ikot Ebidang Community ONNA Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
Background
The Niger Delta is the hub of oil production in Nigeria. While oil accounts for more than 80 percent of foreign exchange earnings, the communities where oil is drilled have not seen commensurate development attributed to oil receipt.
Even worse the communities at the front lines are reeling from the effects of environmental degradation. Communities in the Niger Delta like Ikot Ebidang are vulnerable and lacking the capacity to organise and strategically engage corporations and governments on the subject of environmental rights and climate justice.
In the light of these gaps observed in the community, Peace Point Development Foundation organised a community engagement in Ikot Ebidang Community in ONNA local government to create awareness and enhance local capacity in advocating for environmental rights and climate justice.
The community engagement featured a welcome address and overview of the activity, presentations, a panel discussion, question and answer session and the inauguration of community environmental monitors in Ikot Ebidang Community.
Observations
Oil spills are a grave threat to the environment and livelihoods.
Monetary compensation is not enough to address the effects of oil exploitation.
Oil spills leave a psychological toll on impacted communities.
NOSDRA is legally responsible for handling all oil spills.
Beyond the companies, the community has the responsibility of reporting spills to an asset operator and the regulator NOSDRA.
Community representatives must be part of joint investigation visits to spill sites.
Community participation as part of JIV and JIT helps to absolve communities of responsibilities in oil spills if they were not involved or establish culpability for the operator which compensation must be paid to impacted communities.
JIV/JIT establishes spill volume, and area of impact which helps the community to achieve Justice for the damage or loss suffered.
Environmental literacy is critical for community mobilisation to advocate for environmental and climate justice.
Adopting community based monitoring, negotiations, strategic communications, letter writing campaigns and legal advocacy are crucial engagement tools for communities to address environmental injustice.
Recommendations
The community of Ikot Ebidang must organise around a common theme of ensuring that their community gets their rights.
Considering the capacity gaps noticed in the community, community leaders must initiate awareness campaigns and capacity building initiatives.
Ikot Ebidang Community must duplicate the template of other communities that have used litigation to obtain environmental justice, communities like Ogoni land must be an inspiration to the people of Ikot Ebidang.
The community must build partnership with the media and civil society groups to amplify community voices and demands.
Familiarise themselves with regulatory tools such as oil spill monitor and gas flare tracker as part of a ways to obtaining climate justice.
The community must use tools like GPS cameras to document evidence of environmental pollution.
Conclusion
The community engagement on environmental rights and climate justice was a potent avenue to catalyse demand side action towards achieving environmental rights and climate justice.
The knowledge and tools shared with the community has left them more equipped with the skills to advocate more skillfully for their rights.
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